This is a short video dedicated to the foods eatten during the depression.
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.co...
Link to her site on youtube..With the new world order Obama is bestowing on us?? its probably a good idea to start brushing up now.
http://www.youtube.com/user...
Since everyone on here enjoys kicking each others teeth out..I thought you might find this article interesting
Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press
Feb. 26, 2009 -- Ever wonder why sharks get several rows of teeth and people only get one? Some geneticists did, and their discovery could spur work to help adults one day grow new teeth when their own wear out.
A single gene appears to be in charge, preventing additional tooth formation in species destined for a limited set. When the scientists bred mice that lacked that gene, the rodents developed extra teeth next to their first molars -- backups like sharks and other non-mammals grow, University of Rochester scientists reported Thursday.
If wondering about shark teeth seems rather wonky, consider: Tooth loss from gum disease is a major problem, here and abroad, and dentures or dental implants are far from perfect treatments. If scientists knew exactly what triggers a new tooth to grow in the first place, it's possible they could switch that early-in-life process on again during adulthood to regenerate teeth.
"It's exciting. We've got a clue what to do," said Dr. Songtao Shi of the University of Southern California School of Dentistry, who said the Rochester discovery will help his own research into how to grow a new tooth from scratch.
Related Content:
Also intriguing: All the mice born without this gene, called Osr2, had cleft palates severe enough to kill. So better understanding of this gene might play a role in efforts to prevent that birth defect, the Rochester team reported in the journal Science.
Teeth may not be visible until long after birth, but they start to form early in embryo development. Teeth ultimately erupt from a thickened band of tissue along the jaw line called the dental lamina, a band that forms in a top layer of the gum called the epithelium. Scientists have long thought the signals for tooth formation must lie in that tissue layer as well.
Not so, the Rochester team found: All the action takes place instead in a deeper cell layer called the mesenchyme.
Think of the Osr2 gene as a control switch, a kind of gene that turns on and off the downstream actions of other genes and proteins. In that mesenchymal tissue, the Osr2 gene works in concert with two other genes to make sure budding teeth form in the right spot, said lead researcher Dr. Rulang Jiang, a geneticist at Rochester's Center for Oral Biology.
"It's almost a self-generating propagation of the signal" that leads to one tooth after another forming all in a row, he explained.
Knocking that molecular pathway out of whack causes either missing or extra teeth to result, Jiang showed in a series of mouse experiments
http://dsc.discovery.com/ne...
Posted: February 26, 2009
11:40 pm Eastern
By Bob Unruh
© 2009 WorldNetDaily
Retired Maj. Gen. Carroll Childers
'Most important, what I really want is the truth'
On the heels of two active duty members of the U.S. military serving in Iraq calling for President Obama to prove his eligibility to be president, a retired major general has agreed to join the case, saying he just wants "the truth."
WND reported earlier when 1st Lt. Scott Easterling confirmed to California attorney Orly Taitz that he wanted to be a plaintiff in the legal action she is preparing on behalf of members of the U.S. military, both active and retired. A second soldier who asked that his name be withheld for now became part of the action just a day later.
Now retired Maj. Gen. Carroll D. Childers has submitted a statement to Taitz and her DefendOurFreedoms.us website, agreeing to be a plaintiff in her pending action.
"I agree to be a plaintiff in the legal action to be filed by Orly Taitz, Esq. in a petition for a declaratory judgement (sic) that Barack Hussein Obama is not qualified to be president of the U.S., nor to be commander in chief of the U.S. armed forces, in that I am or was a sworn member of the U.S. military (subject to recall)," he wrote.
If recalled, he would be "unable to follow any orders given by a constitutionally unqualified commander in chief, since by doing so I would be subject to charges of aiding and abetting fraud and committing acts of treason," he wrote.
In an accompanying letter, Childers said, "What I really want is the truth; is Obama a natural born citizen of the United States. If not a natural born citizen, America has been defrauded and then we would be stuck with Joe Biden whose only redeeming attribute is that he is probably not a communist."
He said he is an engineer after serving for 38 years in Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Operation Desert Storm and other locations.
Childers said there were a long list of reasons he didn't support Obama for president, including "his crime associates in the USA … his promise to make coal power industry bankrupt … his spread the wealth admission … his associations with foreign leaders unfriendly to the USA … (and his lack of) integrity."
But he said he believes Obama is not eligible to be president, a claim Obama spokesmen have described to WND as "garbage."
WND has reported on multiple legal challenges to Obama's status as a "natural born citizen." The Constitution, Article 2, Section 1, states, "No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President."
Some of the lawsuits question whether he was actually born in Hawaii, as he insists. If he was born out of the country, Obama's American mother, the suits contend, was too young at the time of his birth to confer American citizenship to her son under the law at the time.
Other challenges have focused on Obama's citizenship through his father, a Kenyan subject to the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom at the time of his birth, thus making him a dual citizen. The cases contend the framers of the Constitution excluded dual citizens from qualifying as natural born.
Where's the proof Barack Obama was born in the U.S. or that he fulfills the "natural-born American" clause in the Constitution? If you still want to see it, join more than 290,000 others and sign up now!
Several of the cases have involved emergency appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court in which justices have declined to hear arguments. Among the cases turned down without a hearing at the high court have been petitions by Philip Berg, Cort Wrotnowski, Leo Donofrio and Taitz.
Military.com reported Easterling's concerns following WND's report and confirmed that Army officials said they were aware of the lieutenant's letter. The officials, Military.com said, are trying to balance the "military requirements under the Uniform Code of Military Justice versus critical freedoms that all Americans enjoy."
Commenters on the website called the soldier "a delusional racist," "moronic and irrelevent (sic)," and undeserving of his uniform.
However, some defended him.
"The questions about the POTUS and his birth were questions raised during the campaign – quite often in this website. This question was not always answered in a fashion which was clear cut yea or nay," said one forum contributor. "There are lawsuits ongoing – therefore there are other doubters."
Said another, "If anybody does their research they find out that a full investigation was conducted regarding McCain's eligibility (born on a military base on foreign soil), but no such investigation was done for BO. BO admits to traveling to Pakistan in 1981, when it was illegal to do so for US citizens at the time, how did he pull that off?
"Open your eyes, lemmmings (sic)," the participant wrote.
Another pointed out that the lieutenant certainly has a right to his opinion, but most importantly, he is staying true to his duty.
"All of your rhetoric truly makes me question your morality. Some of you say that this LT needs to be reprimanded in this way or that, but what you people forget to see through your blinders is that this LT is still fighting the fight, no matter what. He still is part of the reason you have the right to say the things you do. He still believes the American way of life is still precious and should stay that way no matter what. And whether he chooses his God given freedom to voice that God given right is up to him."
Another had a pointed comment about the entire issue.
"Why doesn't the president just put his credentials out there and stop all the speculation?"
Another member of the military who contacted WND, who identified himself only by his initials, explained: "I am in the United States Air Force and I had to produce my birth certificate to enter the service. What documents did Mr. Obama use to enter in the race for president? I had to produce my birth certificate to have a passport issued. Does Mr. Obama have a passport? What documents did he use to get it? My children have to produce their birth certificate to get a driver's license. Does Mr. Obama have a driver's license? What documents did he use to get it? I had to produce a birth certificate to get a Social Security number issued for me and my children. Does Mr. Obama have a Social Security number issued? What documents did he use to get it? "
Taitz explained the issue isn't resolved as many Obama supporters claim.
The "Certification of Live Birth" posted on the Internet actually doesn't confirm a birth location.
"[Hawaii] statute 138 allows foreign born children of HI residents to get HI [Certificates of Live Birth] and get them based on a statement of one relative only," she said.
She also said Hawaiian officials, while they confirmed a birth certificate exists, did not exclude the possibility it was "one obtained for a foreign born child."
She also cited Obama's immigration to Indonesia at age 5, when he was considered an Indonesian citizen.
Also, in a case being handled largely by Gary Kreep of the United States Justice Foundation in California, lawyers hired to represent Obama have admitted that such disputes should have been resolved in Congress.
That case is seeking documentation of Obama's attendance at Occidental College, and in an effort to keep all of those records secret, a law firm has argued that state and federal courts have no authority over the case.
"Federal law establishes the procedure for election of the President and Vice President and provides the exclusive means for challenges to their qualifications," the court filing said. In the absence of objections filed by members of the Senate and House of Representatives, "which would have been resolved by those bodies," Obama was declared the president.
Here is a partial listing and status update for some of the cases over Obama's eligibility:
New Jersey attorney Mario Apuzzo has filed a case on behalf of Charles Kerchner and others alleging Congress didn't properly ascertain that Obama is qualified to hold the office of president.
Pennsylvania Democrat Philip Berg has three cases pending, including Berg vs. Obama in the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, a separate Berg vs. Obama which is under seal at the U.S. District Court level and Hollister vs. Soetoro a/k/a Obama, brought on behalf of a retired military member who could be facing recall to active duty by Obama.
Leo Donofrio of New Jersey filed a lawsuit claiming Obama's dual citizenship disqualified him from serving as president. His case was considered in conference by the U.S. Supreme Court but denied a full hearing.
Cort Wrotnowski filed suit against Connecticut's secretary of state, making a similar argument to Donofrio. His case was considered in conference by the U.S. Supreme Court, but was denied a full hearing.
Former presidential candidate Alan Keyes headlines a list of people filing a suit in California, in a case handled by the United States Justice Foundation, that asks the secretary of state to refuse to allow the state's 55 Electoral College votes to be cast in the 2008 presidential election until Obama verifies his eligibility to hold the office. The case is pending, and lawyers are seeking the public's support.
Chicago attorney Andy Martin sought legal action requiring Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle to release Obama's vital statistics record. The case was dismissed by Hawaii Circuit Court Judge Bert Ayabe.
Lt. Col. Donald Sullivan sought a temporary restraining order to stop the Electoral College vote in North Carolina until Barack Obama's eligibility could be confirmed, alleging doubt about Obama's citizenship. His case was denied.
In Ohio, David M. Neal sued to force the secretary of state to request documents from the Federal Elections Commission, the Democratic National Committee, the Ohio Democratic Party and Obama to show the presidential candidate was born in Hawaii. The case was denied.
In Washington state, Steven Marquis sued the secretary of state seeking a determination on Obama's citizenship. The case was denied.
In Georgia, Rev. Tom Terry asked the state Supreme Court to authenticate Obama's birth certificate. His request for an injunction against Georgia's secretary of state was denied by Georgia Superior Court Judge Jerry W. Baxter.
California attorney Orly Taitz has brought a case, Lightfoot vs. Bowen, on behalf of Gail Lightfoot, the vice presidential candidate on the ballot with Ron Paul, four electors and two registered voters.
In addition, other cases cited on the RightSideofLife blog as raising questions about Obama's eligibility include:
In Texas, Darrel Hunter vs. Obama later was dismissed.
In Ohio, Gordon Stamper vs. U.S. later was dismissed.
In Texas, Brockhausen vs. Andrade.
In Washington, L. Charles Cohen vs. Obama.
In Hawaii, Keyes vs. Lingle, dismissed.
WND senior reporter Jerome Corsi had gone to both Kenya and Hawaii prior to the election to investigate issues surrounding Obama's birth. But his research and discoveries only raised more questions, the biggest being why, if there exists documentation of Obama's eligibility, hasn't it been released to quell the rumors.
Instead, a series of law firms have been hired on Obama's behalf around the nation to prevent any public access to his birth certificate, passport records, college records and other documents
Posted: February 24, 2009
10:25 pm Eastern
By Chelsea Schilling
© 2009 WorldNetDaily
When President Obama went to Fort Myers, Fla., to emphasize the nation's need for his economic stimulus plan, he promised to help a pleading homeless woman get back on her feet in a highly publicized exchange – but recent reports now reveal the woman may, in fact, be an owner of multiple properties.
"I have an urgent need," the elderly black woman identifying herself as Henrietta Hughes told Obama at a Feb. 10 town hall rally.
She nearly broke into tears, telling the president her family is desperate and homeless.
"The housing authority has two years waiting lists, and we need something more than the vehicle and the parks to go to," she said. "We need our own kitchen and our own bathroom. Please help."
The audience applauded as Obama kissed her on the cheek.
"We're going to do everything we can to help you, but there are a lot of people like you. We're going to do everything we can." Obama promised the well-dressed woman. "I'll have my staff talk to you after the town hall."
National media called her "The face of the economic crisis," while critics suggested the heartfelt moment may have been staged.
After the incident, Chene Thompson, wife of Florida state Rep. Nicholas Thompson, R-Fort Myers, said she would allow Hughes to stay in her home without charging rent.
"Basically, I offered Ms. Hughes and her son the opportunity to stay in my home rent-free for as long as they need to," Thompson told WBBH-TV in Fort Myers. "I'm not a millionaire, I'm not rich, but this is what I can do for someone if they need it."
Hughes and her son, Corey, later declared to MSNBC that they had found hope with the help of God and Obama.
"I'd just say thank you very much, we appreciate you," said Corey, though it was Thompson who ultimately provided the helping hand.
While the media echoed the inspiring story, Florida's CBS affiliate, Southwest WINK News, revealed that Hughes had refused assistance for her allegedly homeless family before the appearance with Obama.
The director of We Care Outreach Ministry, Tanya Johnson, told the station she offered Hughes a home for three months in January – but the woman refused to accept her offer.
"We would have allowed her to stay for the first 90 days, no income. You know free," she said.
Johnson said she gave Hughes and her son money, food and free job training courses – but the woman refused again.
"We have extended a lot of her services to her," Johnson said.
Nonetheless, Hughes told the station she's never cheated the system and never chose to be homeless.
A blogger on Sweetness & Light researched property records for Hughes and found that the woman owned as many as three homes in recent years. She sold one in 2005 – two years after she allegedly began living in her car with her son – for a significant profit.
Hughes granted full ownership of a second home to her son, and the blogger suggests that Hughes made the transfer to meet income requirements for continuing to collect Social Security Disability Insurance and Medicare benefits.
No sales records could be located for the third home – and some say it could be an indication that Hughes still owns it.
WE GOT YOUR MONEY. . .
GONNA SPEND YOUR MONEY. . .
GONNA PRINT SOME MORE MONEY . . .
1.5mg download give it time if your on dialup.
Monday, February 23, 2009 9:29 AM
By: William Douglas and David Lightman, McClatchy
WASHINGTON — During the 2008 presidential campaign, candidates Barack Obama and John McCain fought vigorously over who would be toughest on congressional earmarks.
"We need earmark reform," Obama said in September during a presidential debate in Oxford, Miss. "And when I'm president, I will go line by line to make sure that we are not spending money unwisely."
President Barack Obama should prepare to carve out a lot of free time and keep the coffee hot this week as Congress prepares to unveil a $410 billion omnibus spending bill that's riddled with thousands of earmarks, despite his calls for restraint and efforts on Capitol Hill to curtail the practice.
The bill will contain about 9,000 earmarks totaling $5 billion, congressional officials say. Many of the earmarks — loosely defined as local projects inserted by members of Congress — were inserted last year as the spending bills worked their way through various committees.
So while Obama and McCain were slamming earmarks on the campaign trail, House and Senate members — Democrats and Republicans — were slapping them into spending bills.
"It will be a little embarrassing for the president if he signs a bill with that many earmarks on it," said Stan Collender , a veteran Washington budget analyst. "He'll say they're left over from the Bush years, and he as to say that next year the bill will be clean."
Experts agree that most earmarks are legitimate. Cary Leahey , senior economist with Decision Economics in New York , said the nation's economic crisis is a contributing factor to the plethora of earmarks. Lawmakers can argue that for a relatively small price they've helped boost the economy.
"One congressman's earmark is another legislative way to fix a serious problem in his district," Leahey said.
Kenneth Thomas , a lecturer in finance at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of business, agrees.
"I generally believe that the priority is getting money into the system sooner rather than later, especially if it's for projects that will use local contractors and create jobs," he said.
Still, it wasn't supposed to be this way. Earmarks have come under fire because of those that seem to provide what Maya MacGuineas , president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, calls "laugh lines," such as Alaska's "Bridge to Nowhere" or North Dakota's Lawrence Welk Museum .
Obama pledged to take a hard hand on earmarks and warned lawmakers in a Feb. 3 letter from Budget Director Peter Orszag not to decorate the recently signed $787.2 billion stimulus bill with them.
Democrats declared the bill earmark-free. Republicans disagreed.
"While this bill does not include traditional earmarks, we should all understand that there are earmarks in this bill," said Sen. Mike Enzi , R- Wyo. "There is $850 million ... to bail out Amtrak , a $75 million earmark for the Smithsonian, a $1 billion earmark for the 2010 census."
Democrats have been trying to revamp the earmark process for about two years. In 2007, they instituted a system that required members to explain the contents of each earmark, as well as a justification for why it was included in the legislation that way. They claimed this led to a reduction in earmarks by as much as 43 percent.
But critics contended the system still had problems. Simply making information more available, they said, didn't address the major criticism: That such projects should go through the regular legislative process, subject to detailed hearings and bipartisan votes.
Not only does this mean the public has no chance to challenge questionable spending, but too often powerful interests who know how to work the system get favorite measures inserted.
For instance, Congressional Quarterly reported recently that more than 100 House members got earmarks for clients of the PMA Group , a lobbying firm with close ties to Rep. John Murtha , D- Pa. , who heads the powerful defense spending subcommittee. The CQ Politics analysis said that in the 2009 defense spending bill, which Congress approved last year, PMA clients got about $300 million .
The CQ study came after reports that the FBI is investigating the possibility of illegal campaign contributions by PMA to Murtha and other lawmakers. A Murtha spokesman said earlier this month that the FBI probe has nothing to do with Murtha. A PMA spokesman declined to comment on the probe.
Appropriations committee chairmen say they are on track to reform the earmark process beginning in fiscal 2010 by requiring members to make public their requests early, so the public can scrutinize them and presumably contact lawmakers.
The change, though, doesn't apply to the 2009 funding that Congress will consider next week.
Several experts believe that dramatically reducing the number of earmarks, while a laudable goal, is almost impossible. But others contend that earmarks aren't that big of a problem.
"Earmarks get more attention than they deserve," said MacGuineas. "The problem is that they cause a loss of confidence in the whole budget process."
© 2009, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. Reprinted Via Newscom.
FOX16 News obtained surveillance video of the attack at a McDonald’s on Rodney Parham that left an employee with multiple gunshot wounds. The August 2008 video shows a man wearing a white shirt hitting a woman. Seconds later, an employee runs in to break it up and the attacker is forced outside. Off camera, the employee was shot three times. He walks back inside and then collapses before medical attention arrives.
Six days after the attack, LRPD detectives arrested Perry Kennon, 27, charging him with shooting Nigel Haskett. After three surgeries, $300,000 in medical bills and six months recovery, Haskett filed a workers compensation claim for his injuries.
Claims specialist Misty Thompson with insurance broker Ramsey, Krug, Farrell and Lensing responded, denying Haskett's claim.
"We've denied this claim in its entirety, it's our opinion that Mr. Haskett's injuries did not arise out of or within the course of his employment," a portion of the statement reads.
Philip Wilson is Haskett's attorney. He says the defense from McDonald's insurer is baffling.
"Seems like any employer would want a disturbance stopped and that's what this young man was simply trying to do," Wilson says.
Wilson says he is now seeking a hearing before the Workers Compensation Commission.
"Nigel is a very nice young man," Wilson told FOX16 News Thursday. "He says 'yes sir, no sir' and he was just doing what anybody would do in that situation, on or off the job."
Haskett's boss Ray Nosler called him a hero for his actions last August and contributed to a fund setup for his employee. He provided a statement to FOX16 News.
"We are all grateful to Nigel and that's why it is so unfortunate that he's having a difficult time with the insurance claim," Nosler says. "Because the insurance claim is still pending, I’m not able to say more about it, but I hope his claim will come to a quick resolution and the right thing will be done for my employee."
Wilson says the right thing is for McDonald’s insurer to pay the claim.
"Surely we want our young people to step in and break up a fight if something like that were to happen, especially on your own employers premises, I would," Wilson says.
As part of the denial, the insurer included a page that details expectations of employees during orientation. In a robbery situation it tells employees not to do anything that would put themselves or anyone else in danger. Wilson asserts that clause does not apply in this incident.
Ramsey, Krug, Farrell and Lensing is acting as a third party administrator in this claim. Allen McClain with the Workers Compensation Commisssion says McDonald's uses a self-insured trust for workers compensation premiums that multiple franchisees pay into, including the location on Rodney Parham.
Wilson says his client has recently returned to work to pay bills. The fund setup for Haskett is still accepting donations at all area Twin City Bank locations.
Copyright 2009 Newport Television LLC All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Thanks to Ppopgun for the link but just incase you missed it
Is it just me or what?? whenever I post a comment it should take one clik back to the comments box..then one clik back to the page..then one clik back to the list of blogs.
However..I can back page and clik and clik and clik and clik ..it takes many many times to get back to the main list if at all.. Sometimes I just give up and go back to the front page of TBC and go in that way. Is this common for everyone?? Im using IE ..winXP
WASHINGTON – The Guantanamo Bay prison meets the standard for humane treatment laid out in the Geneva Conventions but could use some changes in how it handles its more dangerous or less compliant prisoners, according to a Pentagon report.
The report was prepared for President Barack Obama, who has ordered the terrorist detention center closed within a year.
The recommended changes include an increase in group recreation for those prisoners, according to a government official familiar with the study. The report also suggested allowing those prisoners to gather in groups of three or more, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the report has not been released.
Some of the hard-core prisoners are not currently allowed to meet with other prisoners for prayer or socialization and are kept in their cells for 23 hours a day. Alleged Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed is among the prisoners who could be affected by the change. Prolonged social isolation has been known to harm mental health among prisoners.
The 85-page report by Adm. Patrick M. Walsh, the Navy's second in command, was written in response to Obama's Jan. 22 executive order to close the facility at the U.S. naval base in Cuba within a year.
Attorney General Eric Holder, meanwhile, named a top federal prosecutor, Matthew Olsen, as executive director of Obama's Guantanamo Detainee Review Task Force, which will recommend where to send each detainee. Obama has ordered the task force to consider whether to transfer, release or prosecute the detainees, or figure out some other "lawful means for disposition" if none of those options is available.
As a presidential candidate, Obama criticized the detention center that human rights groups and many in the international community widely condemned for harsh treatment of prisoners during the Bush administration. The military has defended its actions, saying prisoners have been treated humanely since the center was set up after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The report found the camp to be in compliance with the Geneva Conventions Common Article 3, the international rules that require the humane treatment of prisoners taken in unconventional armed conflicts, like the war on terrorism. The camp's controversial force-feeding of prisoners on hunger strikes was also found to be compliant with the Geneva guidelines, a second government official confirmed.
About 800 prisoners have been held there, many for years and nearly all without criminal charges. There are now around 250.
In a separate case involving legal challenges to imprisonment, the Obama administration, siding with the Bush White House, contended Friday that detainees in Afghanistan have no constitutional rights.
In a two-sentence court filing, the Justice Department said it agreed that detainees at Bagram Airfield cannot use U.S. courts to challenge their detention in a filing that angered human rights attorneys.
The Supreme Court last summer gave al-Qaida and Taliban suspects held at Guantanamo the right to challenge their detention. With about 600 detainees at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan and thousands more held in Iraq, courts are grappling with whether they, too, can sue to be released.
Well, stories don't get much worse than this. A 14-year-old boy in China was killed when his chair exploded, sending chunks of metal into his rectum. The bleeding this caused killed him.
The alleged explosion came from the gas cylinder that was in the base of the chair, the part that allowed the user to adjust the seat up and down. The canister gets compressed when you sit on it, but can it actually create enough energy to make the seat cushion explode like that and kill a man? I doubt it, but this is what people are reporting.
In other news, I am working from a beanbag from now on. Sweet merciful crap.
http://i.gizmodo.com/515735...
[Anorak via The Daily What]
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico – Ciudad Juarez's police chief stepped down Friday after criminal gangs made a chilling demand: Resign or we will kill more local officers.
Public Safety Secretary Roberto Orduna announced he was leaving his post only hours after gunmen killed a police officer and a jail guard and left signs on their bodies saying they had fulfilled a promise made Wednesday to slay at least one officer every 48 hours until Orduna quits.
The slayings were a sign that gangs are determined to control the police force of the biggest Mexican border city, with a population of 1.3 million people across from El Paso, Texas. Ciudad Juarez is a major entry point for drugs heading into the United States and a hot spot in a brutal, multi-front war involving ruthless drug cartels and Mexican security forces.
Ciudad Juarez Mayor Jose Reyes insisted earlier Friday the city would not back down.
"We will not allow the control of the police force to fall in the hands of criminal gangs," he said.
But Orduna said he didn't want to endanger more officers.
"We can't allow men who work defending our citizens to continue to lose their lives," he said. "That is why I am presenting my permanent resignation."
The resignation was effective immediately. Authorities said an interim chief would be named later Friday, and a permanent replacement would be found in the coming weeks.
A retired army major, Orduna took over as chief in May after former Public Safety Secretary Guillermo Prieto resigned and fled to El Paso following the slaying of his operations director.
For Orduna's protection, the city built his bedroom at the police station so he didn't have to go home. He also travels in different vehicles when he does go out.
Ciudad Juarez police have long come under attack, and many officers have quit out of fear for their lives, some after their names appeared on hit lists left in public throughout the city.
Police officer Cesar Ivan Portillo was the fifth officer killed this week in Mexico's deadliest city.
Police were placed on "red alert" — meaning they could not patrol alone — after cardboard signs with handwritten messages appeared taped to the doors and windows of businesses Wednesday, warning Orduna that one officer would be killed every two days if he did not quit.
That alert continued Friday after Orduna stepped down.
Police have also been asked to patrol with their guns in their hands.
More than 6,000 people have been killed in drug violence across Mexico over the past year as gangs battle each other for territory and fight off a nationwide crackdown by the army. Nearly a third of the slayings have taken place in Ciudad Juarez, and more than 50 of those dead are city police officers.
Violence also has spilled across the border into the U.S., where authorities report a spike in killings, kidnappings and home invasions connected to Mexico's murderous cartels.
Homeland Security officials have said they will bring in the military if the violence continues to grow and threatens the U.S. border region.
"The violence is spreading like wildfire across the Rio Grande," said George Grayson, a Mexico expert at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. "It's a major national security problem for us that is much more important than Iraq and Afghanistan."
Robert Almonte, executive director of the Texas Narcotics Officers Association, said that, while El Paso has been spared most of the violence, the escalating killings across the border in Juarez are worrisome.
"I think it's jarring ... we can't even fathom those kinds of things happening here in the United States," Almonte said.
Also Friday, the U.S. State Department renewed a travel advisory warning Americans about the increased violence along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Some Mexicans have questioned whether President Felipe Calderon's two-year, nationwide crackdown on drug gangs was worth all the killings.
But Calderon and his administration have defended the fight, with Economy Secretary Gerardo Ruiz Mateos saying on Wednesday that if Mexico gave up its fight against the cartels, "the next president of the republic would be a drug dealer."
Portillo and city jail guard Juan Pablo Ruiz were killed as they left their homes before dawn to head to work, city spokesman Jaime Torres said.
Three days earlier, assailants fatally shot police operations director Sacramento Perez, the chief's right-hand man, and three other officers who were sitting with him in a patrol car near the U.S. consulate.
_____
Associated Press writers Marina Montemayor and Alicia Caldwell contributed to this story from Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, Texas
At a meeting of the AARP they showed a video that was submitted in
a contest by a 20 year old. The contest was titled 'u @ 50'.
This video won second place. When they showed it, everyone in the room was awestruck and broke into spontaneous applause. So simple and yet so brilliant.
The Bakersfield Californian | Monday, Feb 16 2009 1:03 PM
Last Updated: Monday, Feb 16 2009 1:03 PM
Joaquin Cruz, the local bail bondsman accused of embezzlement, has died.
The Californian reported in late January that the 66-year-old had stopped treatment for pancreatic cancer. His doctor said at the time that ongoing treatment would do more harm than good.
Cruz died Saturday, according to Greenlawn Mortuaries.
Cruz and his wife, Eduvina Diana Chacon, 57, were accused of tricking clients into giving up homes, vehicles and other property that had been put up for bail and then selling or keeping the items for personal use.
The couple pleaded not guilty to 19 felonies.
After being jailed, Cruz's family campaigned for his release because of what they called poor medical treatment in jail. He eventually posted bail and was released.
In late January, Cruz’s attorney, Joaquin Arturo Revelo, had asked that the charges against Cruz be dropped due to the man’s declining health.
Hiding health legislation in a stimulus bill is intentional. Daschle supported the Clinton administration’s health-care overhaul in 1994, and attributed its failure to debate and delay. A year ago, Daschle wrote that the next president should act quickly before critics mount an opposition. “If that means attaching a health-care plan to the federal budget, so be it,” he said. “The issue is too important to be stalled by Senate protocol.”
More Scrutiny Needed
On Friday, President Obama called it “inexcusable and irresponsible” for senators to delay passing the stimulus bill. In truth, this bill needs more scrutiny.
The health-care industry is the largest employer in the U.S. It produces almost 17 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product. Yet the bill treats health care the way European governments do: as a cost problem instead of a growth industry. Imagine limiting growth and innovation in the electronics or auto industry during this downturn. This stimulus is dangerous to your health and the economy.
(Betsy McCaughey is former lieutenant governor of New York and is an adjunct senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. The opinions expressed are her own.)
To contact the writer of this column: Betsy McCaughey at Betsymross@aol.com
Last Updated: February 9, 2009 00:01 EST
The whole article is here: http://hypnosis.ning.com/gr...
This was an experiment in how people in this fast paced world of ours, won't take the time to stop and listen to the music. It was setup by Gene Weingarten who's goal was to discover if a world class violinist Josh Bell playing inside the Metro sub station could make people stop what they were doing for just a few seconds and listen to some of the worlds most famous classical music. The paper won a Pulitzer for creating this little experiment and the way they pulled it off.
Below is a quote from the article that is linked below that.
"On that Friday in January, those private questions would be answered in an unusually public way. No one knew it, but the fiddler standing against a bare wall outside the Metro in an indoor arcade at the top of the escalators was one of the finest classical musicians in the world, playing some of the most elegant music ever written on one of the most valuable violins ever made. His performance was arranged by The Washington Post as an experiment in context, perception and priorities -- as well as an unblinking assessment of public taste: In a banal setting at an inconvenient time, would beauty transcend?"
Link to the Washington post article...
http://www.washingtonpost.c...
as a footnote Joshua performed for the President and First Lady and VIPs February 11th at the grand reopening of the Ford’s Theatre in Washington DC. The invitation-only event honored George Lucas and Sidney Poitier with performances from a stellar cast of entertainers. But the biggest surprise of the evening was when the audience learned that the violin Joshua was playing was last played at Ford's Theatre on April 14th, 1865—the night of Lincoln’s assassination
BY SUZANNE PEREZ TOBIAS
The Wichita Eagle
Jaime Oppenheimer/The Wichita Eagle
East High School junior Geoffrey Stanford discovered a word usage error on the state writing assessment last week. The state is sending out a corrected version of the test.
Geoffrey Stanford's teachers always tell him to read tests carefully.
Every sentence. Every word. Slow down. Make sure you understand what's being asked, and then proceed.
So while taking his state writing test last week, the East High junior saw something that didn't make sense: The word "emission" -- as in "the emission of greenhouse gases" -- was spelled "omission."
"I thought, 'Surely they're not talking about leaving out carbon dioxide altogether.' It just didn't make sense," said Stanford, 17. "It had to be a mistake."
It was.
Stanford, a linebacker and International Baccalaureate student, alerted English teacher Jennifer Fry, who alerted the district test coordinator, who alerted state education officials, who were, as you might imagine, embarrassed.
"You hate that sort of thing to happen, but it happens," said Karla Denny, spokeswoman for the State Department of Education, which created the test. "We're human."
This week, the department e-mailed test coordinators across the state to alert them to the error and provide a corrected version of the writing prompt.
Denny said the test was developed by a committee of more than 30 teachers from across the state. The five questions -- writing prompts from which students must craft persuasive essays -- were written almost two years ago and tested in 50 high schools last spring.
No one before Stanford had reported the error, Denny said.
"It amazes me. This went through all the channels, and the pilot project, and nobody caught it," said Denny, a former English teacher.
"I think it's one of those things where the people writing the test were so close to it, they probably just read over it. It looked right."
Fry, the IB English teacher, said she was disappointed to see an error on the state test, but not surprised one of her students caught it.
"They're perceptive readers," she said.
Stanford, who prefers math to literature and plans to study mechanical engineering or sports medicine, said he doesn't consider himself a fabulous proofreader.
"But when I edit my own papers, I'm a stickler for grammar and vocabulary and the correct use of words," he said. "It annoys me when I see mistakes."
He and Fry shared a laugh over the test error. It reminded them of a book the class read recently -- Thomas C. Foster's "How to Read Literature Like a Professor" -- in which Foster proclaims, "Irony trumps everything."
"What is this," Stanford said, "if not ironic?"
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's massive, $790 billion economic stimulus plan is on track for a Friday vote in the House, Democratic leaders say, after a 24-hour delay caused by late, lingering controversy.
The Senate could vote on the package of spending and tax cuts later in the day or over the weekend, sending the measure to Obama's desk and awarding him a crucial victory. He says the measure will create or save 3.5 million jobs, while critics contend the bill is filled with wasteful spending and provisions that won't boost the economy.
A day after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., announced agreement had been reached between the White House and congressional negotiators, the measure still had not been revealed in full late Thursday. After a disagreement over school construction funds had been resolved, causing several hours of delay, it took hours for staff aides to read the huge bill line by line to make sure no mistakes were made.
As the overtime drama played out in Washington, Obama delivered what has become a daily call for final congressional action, this time from the industrial heartland, before employees of Caterpillar Inc. in Peoria, Ill.
"Right now, we have a once in a generation chance to act boldly, to turn adversity into opportunity, and use this crisis as a chance to transform our economy for the 21st century," Obama said Thursday. "That is the driving purpose of the recovery and reinvestment plan."
The plan is the signature initiative of the fledgling Obama administration, which is betting that combining tax cuts of just a few dollars a week for most workers with an infusion of hundreds of billions of dollars of government spending over the next few years will arrest the economy's fall.
Larry Summers, a former Clinton administration Treasury secretary and now head of Obama's White House-based economics council, was asked Friday how far the bill will go toward reviving the economy.
"It is the biggest fiscal expansion in our country's history," he replied in an appearance on NBC's "Today" show.
But Summers cautioned against raising expectations too high.
"I think this is a key part of what's gong to be a multipart strategy to contain this decline," he said. But Summers added that the problems "weren't made in a week, a month, a year. It's going to take time to fix."
He said it should not be considered a "silver bullet," or panacea for deeply rooted business woes.
"We don't have a viable alternative," he said. "We're going to have starts and stops."
Much of the spending won't be delivered this year or even next, and Republicans pointed to studies by the Congressional Budget Office that say that adding so much to the national debt would cost the economy by the end of the decade.
The $790 billion plan combines $286 billion in tax cuts with $311 billion in programs funded by the appropriations committees and about $193 billion in spending for benefit programs such as unemployment assistance, $250 payments or millions of people receiving Social Security benefits, and extra money for states to help with the Medicaid health program for the poor and disabled.
Obama's "Making Work Pay" tax cut would be scaled back from $500 for most workers to $400, with couples getting $800 instead of $1,000.
Republicans, lined up to vote against the bill, piled on the scorn. "This is not the smart approach," said Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader. "The taxpayers of today and tomorrow will be left to clean up the mess."
It was clear that the measure was the result of old-fashioned sausage-making. Pet provisions were coming to light that had not been included in the original bills that passed the House or Senate — or that differed markedly from earlier versions. Some appeared to brush up against claims of the bill's supporters that no pet projects known as "earmarks" were included.
One last-minute addition was a $3.2 billion tax break for General Motors Corp. that would allow the ailing auto giant to use current losses to claim refunds for taxes paid when times were good. GM got a $13.4 billion federal bailout late last year — and is expected to receive more in 2009 — and argued that without the provision, its government-financed turnaround plan could force the company to pay higher taxes.
Then there was $8 billion for high-speed rail projects, a priority for both Obama and Reid, who's up for re-election and is a GOP target. While not explicitly named, a Los Angeles to Las Vegas rail project that Reid's been backing for years stands to win funding as does a project in Obama's home state of Illinois.
(AP) As the U.S. Senate worked feverishly on a rare Saturday session to pass President Barack Obama's controversial stimulus package, one rider seems certain to pass with rare and true bipartisan support and is sure to be ratified when the package proper is put to the vote early Tuesday.
"One thing that we all can agree on is the languishing, wretched state of Detroit's sports teams." Lamented Senate minority leader Republican Mitch McConnell, "We cannot allow a football team to go 0-16 again in America. What kind of message does this send to our citizens at home and our friends and foes alike abroad? We easily agreed that no less than 1.2 billion dollars will be earmarked for a total rebuild of the Detroit Lions, including coaching staff, ownership, new stadium, uniforms and media relations."
McConnel took a vintage 1968 Tiger's Denny McClain Topps card from his desk, tore it in half, and tossed it into a nearby garbage tin
"A lesser sum is being divvied up to add pitching and batting coaching and staff and a new bullpen for the dismal Detroit Tigers, and a new forward and guard for the aging Pistons. This is a matter of national pride, and we all seem to be thinking alike on the matter."
When prodded if the money could be better spent on Detroit's infrastructure and public schooling, McConnell wryly offered "That's all part of the big picture. On one hand, if you fix up an ailing cities sports clubs, you instill pride in that city and that city tends to fix itself, but on the other hand a risk does exist, as illustrated by the fact that the Detroit Redwings are in first place and no one really pays attention or even seems to care. With Detroit sports, though, we all agree it's just like a really, really crappy lawn that's filled with nothing but weeds. Your only recourse is to kill off the whole damn thing, plant new seed and start over."
Rite Aid. (Ticker symbol: RAD; about 100,000 employees; 1-year stock-price decline: 92%). This drugstore chain tried to boost its performance by acquiring competitors Brooks and Eckerd in 2007. But there have been some nasty side effects, like a huge debt load that makes it the most leveraged drugstore chain in the U.S., according to Zacks Equity Research. That big retail investment came just as megadiscounter Wal-Mart was starting to sell prescription drugs, and consumers were starting to cut bank on spending. Management has twice lowered its outlook for 2009. Prognosis: Mounting losses, with no turnaround in sight.
Claire's Stores. (Privately owned; about 18,000 employees.) Leon Black's once-renowned private-equity firm, the Apollo Group, paid $3.1 billion for this trendy teen-focused accessory store in 2007, when buyout funds were bulging. But cash flow has been negative for much of the past year and analysts believe Claire's is close to defaulting on its debt. A horrible retail outlook for 2009 offers no relief, suggesting Claire's could follow Linens 'n Things - another Apollo purchase - and declare Chapter 11, possibly shuttering all of its 3,000-plus stores.
[See 5 pieces missing from Obama's stimulus plan.]
Chrysler. (Privately owned; about 55,000 employees). It's never a good sign when management insists the company is not going out of business, which is what CEO Bob Nardelli has been doing lately. Of the three Detroit automakers, Chrysler is the most endangered, with a product portfolio that's overreliant on gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs and almost totally devoid of compelling small cars. A recent deal with Fiat seems dubious, since the Italian automaker doesn't have to pony up any money, and Chrysler desperately needs cash. The company is quickly burning through $4 billion in government bailout money, and with car sales down 40 percent from recent peaks, Chrysler may be the weakling that can't cut it in tough times.
Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group. (DTG; about 7,000 employees; stock down 95%). This car-rental company is a small player compared to Enterprise, Hertz, and Avis Budget. It's also more reliant on leisure travelers, and therefore more susceptible to a downturn as consumers cut spending. Dollar Thrifty is also closely tied to Chrysler, which supplies 80 percent of its fleet. Moody's predicts that if Chrysler declares Chapter 11, Dollar Thrifty would suffer deeply as well.
Realogy Corp. (Privately owned; about 13,000 employees). It's the biggest real-estate brokerage firm in the country, but that's a bad thing when there are double-digit declines in both sales and prices, as there were in 2009. Realogy, which includes the Coldwell Banker, ERA, and Sotheby's franchises, also carries a high debt load, dating to its purchase by the Apollo Group in 2007 - the very moment when the housing market was starting to invert from a soaring ride into a sickening nosedive. Realogy has been trying to refinance much of its debt, prompting lawsuits. One deal was denied by a judge in December, reducing the firm's already tight wiggle room.
[See why "Wall Street talent" is an oxymoron.]
Station Casinos. (Privately owned, about 14,000 employees). Las Vegas has already been creamed by a biblical real-estate bust, and now it may face the loss of its home-grown gambling joints, too. Station - which runs 15 casinos off the strip that cater to locals - recently failed to make a key interest payment, which is often one of the last steps before a Chapter 11 filing. For once, the house seems likely to lose.
Loehmann's Capital Corp. (Privately owned; about 1,500 employees). This clothing chain has the right formula for lean times, offering women's clothing at discount prices. But the consumer pullback is hitting just about every retailer, and Loehmann's has a lot less cash to ride out a drought than competitors like Nordstrom Rack and TJ Maxx. If Loehmann's doesn't get additional financing in 2009 - a dicey proposition, given skyrocketing unemployment and plunging spending - the chain could run out of cash.
Sbarro. (Privately owned; about 5,500 employees). It's not the pizza that's the problem. Many of this chain's 1,100 storefronts are in malls, which is a double whammy: Traffic is down, since consumers have put away their wallets. Sbarro can't really boost revenue by adding a breakfast or late-night menu, like other chains have done. And competitors like Domino's and Pizza Hut have less debt and stronger cash flow, which could intensify pressure on Sbarro as key debt payments come due in 2009.
Six Flags. (SIX; about 30,000 employees; stock down 84%). This theme-park operator has been losing money for several years, and selling off properties to try to pay down debt and get back into the black. But the ride may end prematurely. Moody's expects cash flow to be negative in 2009, and if consumers aren't spending during the peak summer season, that could imperil the company's ability to pay debts coming due later this year and in 2010.
Blockbuster. (BBI; about 60,000 employees; stock down 57%). The video-rental chain has burned cash while trying to figure out how to maximize fees without alienating customers. Its operating income has started to improve just as consumers are cutting back, even on movies. Video stores in general are under pressure as they compete with cable and Internet operators offering the same titles. A key test of Blockbuster's viability will come when two credit lines expire in August. One possible outcome, according to Valueline, is that investors take the company private and then go public again when market conditions are better.
Krispy Kreme. (KKD; about 4,000 employees; stock down 50%). The donuts might be good, but Krispy Kreme overestimated Americans' appetite - and that's saying something. This chain overexpanded during the donut heyday of the 1990s - taking on a lot of debt - and now requires high volumes to meet expenses and interest payments. The company has cut costs and closed underperforming stores, but still hasn't earned an operating profit in three years. And now that consumers are cutting back on everything, such improvements may fail to offset top-line declines, leading Krispy Kreme to seek some kind of relief from lenders over the next year.
Landry's Restaurants. (LNY; about 17,000 employees; stock down 66%). This restaurant chain, which operates Chart House, Rainforest Café, and other eateries, needs $400 million in new financing to finalize a buyout deal dating to last June. If lenders come through, the company should have enough cash to ride out the recession. But at least two banks have already balked, leading to downgrades of the company's debt and the prospect of a cash-flow crunch.
Sirius Satellite Radio. (SIRI - parent company; about 1,000 employees; stock down 96%). The music rocks, but satellite radio has yet to be profitable, and huge contracts for performers like Howard Stern are looking unsustainable. Sirius is one of two satellite-radio services owned by parent company Sirius XM, which was formed when Sirius and XM merged last year. So far, the merger hasn't generated the savings needed to make the company profitable, and Moody's thinks there's a "high likelihood" that Sirius will fail to repay or refinance its debt in 2009. One outcome could be a takeover, at distressed prices, by other firms active in the satellite business.
Trump Entertainment Resorts Holdings. (TRMP; about 9,500 employees; stock down 94%). The casino company made famous by The Donald has received several extensions on interest payments, while it tries to sell at least one of its Atlantic City properties and pay down a stack of debt. But with casino buyers scarce, competition circling, and gamblers nursing their losses from the recession, Trump Entertainment may face long odds of skirting bankruptcy.
BearingPoint. (BGPT; about 16,000 employees; stock down 21%). This Virginia-based consulting firm, spun out of KPMG in 2001, is struggling to solve its own operating problems. The firm has consistently lost money, revenue has been falling, and management stopped issuing earnings guidance in 2008. Stable government contracts generate about 30 percent of the firm's business, but the firm may sell other divisions to help pay off debt. With a key interest payment due in April, management needs to hustle - or devise its own exit strategy.
more here: http://finance.yahoo.com/ne...
even ding dong Biden doesn't have complete faith this little package will work. SO NOW WHAT todo usted lberales???
The president closed his remarks by telling lawmakers and their families that he is "grateful and humbled" to be the leader of their party – and he said his “greatest partner,” Pelosi, “delivers on everything she promises.”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/pol...
Made my day..NOT..just gonna make matters worse..
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Sign the petition. Stop Obama's outrageous spending scheme. Protect our tax money.
From the Desk of:
Steve Elliott, President, Grassfire.org Alliance
An unexpected, and overwhelming grassroots response to our"Stop The
Spending" petition brought our servers to a crashing halt! If you were
unable to add your name to this important petition, please know that we
have fixed the problem and encourage you to try again by clicking here:
If you missed my first message, please see below. Note, I've added
new information that I'm sure you are going to want to read.
* * * * * * * *
Grassfire has just launched a new "Stop The Spending" petition to
oppose the Obama/Congress massive $1 trillion government spending
plan which will not stimulate the economy while burdening the next
generation with massive debt. If you oppose yet another big-government
power grab, go here to sign:
The Senate is debating the bill right now and we will be delivering
petitions EVERY DAY to Senate leaders during this debate.
This Spending Bill will cost you and me well over $1 trillion -- and
liberals in Congress are using this "stimulus" to funnel billions of
dollars into social programs and pork projects that have nothing to
do with our economy.
In fact, according to Newsmax.com, many economists are "beginning to sound
alarms that the U.S. economy is perilously close to a 'tipping point,’
where so many voters will be on the public payroll it will be politically
impossible to rein in entitlement programs."
The Obama Spending Plan could push us past the point of no return!
This is outrageous... especially considering is a better way... a proven
way to stimulate the economy.
Tax cuts!
And there is a bill in Congress that will cut our taxes, put the
"stimulus" in the hands of taxpayers, and create millions of jobs.
So, after you sign, please call your two Senators and say:
#1 -- "I oppose this bogus stimulus/spending plan that further bankrupts
our nation and burdens future generations."
#2 -- "I want a real stimulus that cuts business and personal income
tax rates and puts the stimulus directly into my hands."
Your contact numbers:
Sen. Feinstein 202-224-3841
Sen. Boxer 202-224-3553
Thank you for taking a stand!
Steve Elliott, President
Grassfire.org
P.S. Again, we will be delivering petitions EVERY DAY while the Senate
is debating this bill. Please sign today:
P.P.S. My staff has posted several key resources on ResistNet.com to give
you even more understanding and insight into the gravity of the Spending
Plan. Watch Glenn Beck’s expose on what is happening to the U.S. dollar.
Go here for more:
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Im sure those who are overwhelmed with his magnificence will chose to ignore these facts..essentially the only thing Yo has changed since he hit the white house lawn is his socks and underwear.
Here's your chance to let the media know where the people stand on our faith in God, as a nation. NBC is taking a poll on "In God We Trust" to stay on our American currency. Please send this to every person you know that feels the minority of the population shouldn't be allowed to speak for the rest of us anymore. Please do it right away, before NBC takes this off the web page. Poll is still open so you can vote. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id...
http://www.youtube.com/watc...
again another one with a slip of the naughty tongue (one word only) so beware ..The example of being a "JOINER" speaks volumes of the way people think and blindly react these days, as proven by our last Democratic Presidential election
http://www.youtube.com/watc...
Warning one old boy says a bad word so if you offend easily dont watch.The reason I am posting it is because if this is how the world is viewing us..it aint purty.
http://www.news9.com/Global...
if you feel this guy did this little gal wrong heres some contact info thats on the internet. Tell him what you think. I wish he had an email address but it didnt come through yet.
11133 SW 29th St
Yukon, OK 73099-7836
(405) 324-0621
Again I tried to load this video 10 times but TBC's software still has a gliche..so heres the link to youtube..
http://www.youtube.com/watc...
January 23, 2009
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - An Army investigation called the electrocution death of a U.S. Soldier in Iraq a "negligent homicide" caused by military contractor KBR Inc. and two of its supervisors, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press.
An Army criminal investigator said the manner of death for Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, 24, of Pittsburgh, has been changed from accidental to negligent homicide because the contractor failed to ensure that "qualified electricians and plumbers" worked on the barracks where Maseth died, according to the document.
Heather L. Browne, a spokeswoman for Houston-based KBR, said in a statement that the company cannot comment on the report because the company has not seen it.
"KBR's investigation has produced no evidence that KBR was responsible for Sgt. Maseth's death," Browne said. "We have cooperated fully with all government agencies investigating this matter and will do so in the future."
The Green Beret died of cardiac arrest on Jan. 2, 2008. He was electrocuted while taking a shower in his barracks in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group at Fort Campbell, Ky.
The document obtained by the AP, dated Dec. 16, said the case was under legal review at Army's Criminal Investigation Command headquarters at Fort Belvoir, Va. A spokesman for the Army's criminal division, Christopher Grey, said the investigation continues and any conclusions drawn now would be premature.
Last year, Maseth's parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Allegheny County, Pa., against KBR. It alleges that KBR allowed U.S. troops to continue using electrical systems "which KBR knew to be dangerous and knew had caused prior instances of electrocution."
Maseth's mother, Cheryl Harris, testified on Capitol Hill about electrical problems in military facilities. Since then, the Army has made changes such as creating an electrical code for U.S. facilities in Iraq. At one point last year, the deaths of at least 18 U.S. service members and contractors were under investigation as possible electrocutions.
Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., said in a statement that the Army CID's investigation validates the work by Maseth's mother.
"We must not only ensure that full accountability is served in this case, but that the Pentagon is also doing all that it can to prevent future electrocutions of American personnel in both Iraq and Afghanistan," Casey said.
KBR was previously owned by Halliburton Co., the oil services conglomerate that former Vice President Dick Cheney once led. Congressional Democrats long have complained that KBR has benefited from its ties to Cheney.
